14 - Recommendations | Covid-19 Lessons Learned

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Introduction | Kupu whakataki

This chapter sets out what we recommend the government and its agencies do to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand is pandemic-ready and resilient.^xi As demonstrated in the Looking Back chapters, the challenge of responding well to a pandemic does not fall on central government alone – communities, iwi and Māori, non-governmental organisations, local government and the private sector all contributed enormously to the COVID-19 response and will doubtless do so again in another pandemic. These groups and others may well find aspects of our recommendations relevant and useful to their own pandemic planning. However, our recommendations are directed at central government.^xii

The recommendations give practical effect to the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, but they are not specific to that event. As we know, the next pandemic could well originate from a different pathogen that spreads and affects people quite differently, and it could require other response measures altogether. Our recommendations have therefore been designed to meet a range of possible pandemic scenarios. Some are also relevant to other kinds of national risks and emergency situations.

Like the lessons from which they arise, our recommendations are grounded in the evidence gathered during the Inquiry, including what we learned about other countries’ COVID-19 responses. The recommendations take account of what worked well and also what did not. Some recommendations reflect the views and suggestions of stakeholders we engaged with directly or who provided submissions.

When we heard good ideas for improving pandemic preparedness and resilience, we took note and used them to inform our recommendations.

We cannot predict whether the next pandemic will be triggered by a virus known to us or by an entirely new pathogen, whether it will be more deadly than COVID-19 or less, or whether it will be short-lived or protracted. What we can do is be ready for a range of possible pandemic scenarios. We therefore urge the Government to consider and implement these Phase One recommendations as soon as practicable. The minister charged with leading this work should receive regular progress reports on how the recommendations are being implemented at the all-of-government level and by individual agencies, and keep Parliament informed.

Overview of recommendations | He whakarāpopototanga o ngā tūtohutanga

This overview provides the high-level recommendations of the Inquiry ’at a glance’.

Group 1: Strengthen all-of-government coordination and accountability for pandemic preparedness
Establish a central agency function to coordinate all-of-government preparation and response planning for pandemics and other national risks. Strengthen oversight and accountability for pandemic preparedness. Central agency function • Lead all-of-government pandemic planning • Coordinate and drive preparation activities across agencies. Oversight and accountability • Chief Executives Group • Ministerial oversight • Parliamentary scrutiny • Public transparency.

Group 1: Strengthen all-of-government coordination and accountability for pandemic preparedness

Establish a central agency function to coordinate all-of-government preparation and response planning for pandemics and other national risks.
Strengthen oversight and accountability for pandemic preparedness.

Central agency function

• Lead all-of-government pandemic planning
• Coordinate and drive preparation activities across agencies.

Oversight and accountability

• Chief Executives Group
• Ministerial oversight
• Parliamentary scrutiny
• Public transparency.

Group 2: Ensure an all-of-government pandemic plan, response structure and supporting processes are developed and ready for a pandemic response
Planning Develop and practise an all-of-government response plan for a pandemic, covering the national-level response and integrating sector-specific plans. Response structure Ensure an all-of-government response structure is ready to be activated if needed in a pandemic, supported by adequate staffing and the provision of comprehensive advice under urgency.

Group 2: Ensure an all-of-government pandemic plan, response structure and supporting processes are developed and ready for a pandemic response

Planning

Develop and practise an all-of-government response plan for a pandemic, covering the national-level response and integrating sector-specific plans.

Response structure

Ensure an all-of-government response structure is ready to be activated if
needed in a pandemic, supported by adequate staffing and the provision of
comprehensive advice under urgency.

Group 3: Strengthen the public health measures that may be required in a pandemic
Health system pandemic planning Refine the health system pandemic plan and link it with the all-of-government pandemic plan. Plans in place for scaling-up and implementing significant public health measures in a pandemic: • future options for quarantine and isolation • plans for rapidly scaling-up testing and contact tracing • implementing border restrictions and lockdowns, and managing impacts • vaccination.

Group 3: Strengthen the public health measures that may be required in a pandemic

Health system pandemic planning

Refine the health system pandemic plan and link it with the all-of-government pandemic plan.

Plans in place for scaling-up and implementing significant public health measures in a pandemic:
• future options for quarantine and isolation
• plans for rapidly scaling-up testing and contact tracing
• implementing border restrictions and lockdowns, and managing impacts
• vaccination.

Group 4: Ensure all sectors are prepared for a pandemic and are ready to respond
Ensure each sector has a pandemic plan and considers what they would need to do to support activity within their sector to keep going safely in a pandemic. Health Build resilience to ensure continuity of non-pandemic healthcare. Improve ventilation in hospitals and other public spaces. Economic Ensure plans are in place to address the way that the economy functions during a pandemic – including economic and fiscal policy, the labour market, management of supply chains, the operation of lifeline utilities, and the provision of financial support. Social sector Strengthen coordination at local, regional and national levels. Ensure access to welfare support, food and housing. Justice sector Maintain access to services and ensure the rights and wellbeing of prisoners are protected. Education Plan to keep educational facilities open as much as possible. Maintain access to education through remote learning.

Group 4: Ensure all sectors are prepared for a pandemic and are ready to respond

Ensure each sector has a pandemic plan and considers what they would need to do to support activity within their sector to keep going safely in a pandemic.

Health

Build resilience to ensure continuity of non-pandemic healthcare. Improve ventilation in hospitals and other public spaces.

Economic

Ensure plans are in place to address the way that the economy functions during a pandemic – including economic and fiscal policy, the labour market, management of supply chains, the operation of lifeline utilities, and the provision of financial support.

Social sector

Strengthen coordination at local, regional and national levels.
Ensure access to welfare support, food and housing.

Justice sector

Maintain access to services and ensure the rights and wellbeing of prisoners are protected.

Education

Plan to keep educational facilities open as much as possible.
Maintain access to education through remote learning.

Group 5: Ensure enablers are in place
Improve the way public sector agencies work with iwi and Māori during a pandemic, to support the Crown in its relationship with Māori under te Tiriti. Review legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose for a future pandemic. Ensure core infrastructure is fit for purpose to support each sector’s pandemic response.

Group 6: Implement these recommendations
Assign a minister to lead the response to the recommendations, ensure six-monthly progress reports, and report to Parliament within 12 months of this report being completed.

^xi See section 5 of the Terms of Reference: ’Matters upon which recommendations are sought: The inquiry should make recommendations on the public health strategies and supporting economic and other measures that New Zealand should apply in preparation for any future pandemic, in relation to the principal matters within the inquiry’s scope, by applying relevant lessons learned from New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 and the response from comparable jurisdictions.’

^xii We have used the term central government as the decisions and actions associated with the recommendations will require ministerial or Cabinet decisions and do not sit solely with officials to implement.